Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone

The first of the wildly popular Harry Potter books, written by J.K. Rowling, found its way to the big screen in 2001, with Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone (aka "Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone"). At the stroke of midnight upon his 11th birthday, Harry Potter (Radcliffe) learns from a giant named Hagrid (Coltrane) that he is the orphaned son of powerful wizards. With no more than a blink of an eye, Harry leaves his dreadful aunt and uncle to arrive at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Outside the dreary existence of Muggles (non-magic folk), Harry quickly makes new friends and begins piecing together the mystery of his parents' deaths, which appear not to have been accidental after all. (Suzanne Hodges)

The Ultimate Edition boxed set includes a hardbound, 48-page photo book, collectible character cards, and a digital copy of the film. Disc One contains the theatrical version (02:32:21) and the extended version (02:38:50) of the film, and special features include an In-Movie experience with Director Chris Columbus and BD-Live interactivity. Disc Two includes an "Introduction By Daniel Radcliffe" (HD 01:54), which is an introduction to the many special features for the Harry Potter films; Creating The World Of Harry Potter, Part I: The Magic Begins (HD 01:02:47); A Glimpse Into The World Of Harry Potter (SD 09:15) 2001 international TV special; seven deleted scenes (HD 09:36); a teaser trailer; two theatrical trailers; and 15 TV spots. Disc Three offers the most confusing special features menu I have encountered, with easter egg-type features hidden throughout. Categories are "Dragon Alley," "Tour," "Sorting Hat," "Interviews," "Extra Credit," "Classrooms," "Hogwarts Grounds," and "Library," featuring self-guided tours, interviews, games, deleted scenes, galleries, games, DVD-ROM features, and more.

The 2.41:1 1080p VC-1 picture is superb and far superior to the previously reviewed anamorphically enhanced 2.35:1 DVD in Issue 61. The picture exhibits images that are quite pleasing throughout, with well-balanced contrast. The picture is sharp, with nicely rendered fine detail, though there are times when the picture appears to be lacking in fine definition. Colors range from somewhat subdued in some scenes to bordering oversaturation in others. This is the effect of the stylization. The overall color scheme is bold and vibrant, with pleasing balance. Contrast and shadow delineation are nicely rendered. The picture is pristine throughout and the best that the film has ever looked. The dynamic imagery and the fine visual presentation is sure the enthrall fans of the series. (Gary Reber)

The previous DVD recording and production quality of the 5.1 Dolby® Digital soundtrack (with Surround EX™) was splendid. This DTS-HD Master Audio™ 5.1-channel encoding fully reproduces the master quality of the sound design. The Oscar®-nominated John Williams music score sports very good fidelity and convincingly wraps all around the listener, with the phantom back surround channel serving to provide for a "real" image behind the listener, and also imparting an enhanced sense of expansion and envelopment. The distribution of atmospheric effects throughout the listening space is also very impressive, overall resulting in a holosonic® soundstage that is exemplary in terms of depth and immersion. The phantom back surround is certainly an important factor in this respect and also serves effectively with the many sweeps and pans, such as in Chapter 20. A great example of the use of this phantom channel can also be found in Chapter 28. Another notable aspect of this soundtrack is the dialogue, which features voices with remarkably natural tonality and impressive spatial integration. The low end is clean, poignant, and, at times, prominent with sub-25 Hz all around and occasionally aggressive .1 LFE. The music features a wonderful deep bass foundation. This is certainly a wonderful soundtrack that is sure to please fans, with improved resolution and dynamics. (Gary Reber/Perry Sun)